Ancient Mariner, Hunstantonback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Far too sunny on Sunday to bother with the 5 (6?) real ales so it was a Moretti for me. The most noticeable thing about my ham sandwich was that it came with two portions of chips when I had only ordered (and paid for) one.
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No comments for seven years...! BITE reviewers castigate yourselves! Okay, I've been around this area numerous times, but never ended up in the Ancient Mariner. I was pleasantly surprised. We walked from the cliff car park along the beach, then cut through to the RNLI lifeboat station and on to the pub.. Sunday lunchtime in January, but felt warm an welcoming. Didn't eat, but had a pint of Jennings Night Vision (long way from home), that was very pleasant. 6 real ales on including Ghost ship, Fullers London Pride and loads more.. lifeboat volunteers sitting about the bar after a practise.. felt the real deal and will return..
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Second visit of the year (staying next door at the le Strange Arms).
Much as I like the ambience of the Ancient Mariner, the bar menu is becoming increasingly pedestrian ... basically a mundane "chips- with-everything-fill-your-face-type-deal." It used to be so much more imaginative! Enjoyed a reasonable pasta dish on Friday night, but resorted to the Oak Bar in the hotel proper on Saturday, which was a bit better. Until very recently, the great thing about this place was that it could hold its own with the gastropubs of Thornham and all points east at a fraction of the cost.
Booze fine: location second to none; but there's more to seafood than fish and chips!!!
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Ate in the restaurant, rather than the bar, on Saturday. Very clean and less frenetic. Delicious Lemon Sole from the specials board. Staffing chaotic, however. Several staff around - all charming and polite - but I was never quite sure who was supposed to be looking after me and lost count of the number of times I had to chase up forgotten details such as wine amnd condiments. This was odd because the restaurant was virtually empty and seemed to have its own serving team.
Nonetheless, it was still good value for money and - as always - I enjoyed the view as well as the food.
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Natwest: Glad you liked it ... but surely "being cut off" is what this part of the world is all about? It's why I visit/stay as often as I do!
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Second visit in february found the pub quiet and very cosy, with roaring log fire. One man and his dog plus us. Real Ales, Kronenbourg, Heineken, Adnams, Guinness, etc on tap. Friendly bar-staff. Food very good and 50% off vouchers available on the web or from local press. Previous visit in July was very different. Vibrant atmosphere, lots of parents and children outside, magnificent surroundings and views of the dunes at the bottom of the garden. Great birdwatching centre and hotel accommodation attached. Only problem is - free Wi-Fi is a joke. Simply doesnt work reliably. Given that the remoteness of this area means that there is poor or non-existent mobile phone reception means you could feel a bit cut-off. If Wi-Fi was sorted this is - 10/10 pub.
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On a recent visit last week they had Adnams broadside and southwold bitter, with Sharps Doombar and Castle rocks Diamond reign. DOGS ALLOWED on tiled area only. Didn't try any food but a lovely location in old Hunstanton.
Andus - 10 Jun 2012 16:18 |
Beer tired - what there was available, vegetarian food option rubbish! If you are changing over to a Summer menu, at least have veggie options! If this is what happens when the Landlord is not around for a few day's I hope he doesn't decide on a two week holiday.
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they have added some great new cask ales ready for December,
Rudolph's Reward from Shepherd Neame 3.7%
Winter Warmer from Wells & Young's 5.0%
Red Breast from Jennings 4.5%
Mr Scrooge from Robinsons 4.4%
Adnams Southwold 3.7% & Adnams Broadside 4.7% both these ales always in stock, beers are kept well, Good Beer Guide 2012,
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thy have just had new pumps & lines fitted, they are celebrating 'NATIONAL CASK ALE WEEK' fri 30th sept - sat 8th oct, Mini Beer Festival 30th - 2nd oct, music fri night
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A great lunch, large menu will impress all, quick. staff really friendly. 4 cask ales and they are in the good beer guide, sunny day so sat outside on decking but the lawns reach down the vast beach and sea, i was told by the staff that its the only east coast town facing west, so we stayed and watched the beautiful sunset, and had another drink, well worth a visit
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Another decent lunch ... on Holy Saturday; bang in the middle of the hottest Easter break in living memory! Once again, the food was delivered astonishingly quickly despite the crowds. (Actually, the "Spicey Platter" wasn't quite up to the duck I had last time, but was perfectly acceptable nnetheless.)
The glorious weather meant most customers sat out in the garden and on the various terraces, so the bar itself was comfortably quiet. Sauvignon Blanc okay too.
I am increasingly impressed by the efficiency of this establishment, and still think it's the only pub in Hunstanton which actually looks and feels like a pub ... even if it has been "created" out of something else.
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Enjoyed a splendid lunch here yesterday, but was astonished at how quickly it was delivered (roast duck breast, no less!) within ten/fifteen minutes of ordering. It was tender, tasty and succulent; so unlikely to have been merely microwaved or re-heated. Remarkable!
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Great Pub when the second homers aren't around with their kids. When the trendy lot from London are there, the place changes from a pub to a Middle Class lunch place. The half a lager and a ploughman brigade I call them. They let kids run around in the bar. Not good. Avoid school holidays
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Good potential but disapointing at this time. Beer a tad expensive and uninteresting. Only had a sandwich but bread was a bit stale and a bit expensive as was the beer. Hope they improve.
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Under new new ownership. Probably more suited to the over 50s. Nice friendly staff. Good looking menu (but didn't eat). Clean & tidy little bar. Two real ales. Beer was very good. 5/10
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Called in for lunch on Thursday last, after another failed attempt to try the controversial Ship at Brancaster!
Enjoyed a good meal on the terrace (between showers) watching a spectacular weather front pass down the Wash and oblitorate Skeggy! Arrived before noon so had no problems getting served even in this peak season.
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Agree with Fierdrake - this is a very creditable effort. Hunstanton is indeed bereft of "proper" pubs, as someone else has already opined. This is probably as good as it gets until you reach the real old inns of Thornham, Titchwell, Brancaster and the" Severn Burnhams by the Sea" etc etc etc!!!!
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I've eaten here a number of times during just about every season of the year. I've always enjoyed it and found the food to be better than average at least. What I really like, though, is the fact it really gives the impression of of being an authentic pub, even though it has been created (relatively recently, I think) from a range ouf stables/outbuildings etc. "Change of Use" like this rarely works well: you can create a "trendy bar" easily enough, but a trad. pub is much harder to bring off. This is the exception to prove the rule. Excellent choice of beer; stunning views (in good weather!); intriguing nauticalia and - I've always found-friendly staff.
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Visit Sunday lunch C2pm
Inside a lovely bar, but atmosphere 'clicky'. By this I mean staff seemed distant and not interested, and customers seemed hesitant to interupt staff conversations. Sat on the lawn, great kids area, but we were bemused that altough dogs and children are both allowed inside, dogs weren't allowed in the 'family room' and children weren't allowed in the bar (the only area dogs were...)
Food came quick, indeed the others we were with had their food at the table before they had returned from ordering! 2 lads served us our food (a plate each), and both returned when we asked for an extra plate (just one).
As driver perhaps I shouldn't comment but the others in my group all said the beer was good, with Adnams and Broadside on with 2 guest ales, Jennings Crag Rat and another that slips my mind.
If you block out the staff you'll find a decent enough experiance here.
5/10 - food cheap and cheerful (3663/brakes bros stuff) but good beer, good location and very family friendly
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Big chain style pub in good location overlooking the sea. Food pretty much what we expected but watch out for high wine prices. Unfortunately the strongest impression is that the Ancient Mariner is not clean; tables not cleared, rubbish outside in grassy area, had to ask for our table to be wiped and then it was the very cursory - wiped around the beermats!
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Having just spent a week in Hunstanton I can confirm, after trawling all over town, that this town has no pubs! There's a cavernous bar/diner on the seafront called something like the Waterside, and a number of hotels have bars open to non-residents with pub-like names, but of actual genuine stand-alone pubs there are none. The nearest thing is the Ancient Mariner which is actually a sort of add-on to the big hotel next door. Having said that, I can't see it bears much resemblance to previous, negative review. It's light and airy, the family room is pleasant and has views over the enormous garden which slopes down to the sea and has a kids play area. The food is OK. On our visit there were 4 real ales and the 2 we sampled-Adnams bitter and broadside- were in very good condition. This pub used to be a Good Beer Guide regular and I'm not sure why it no longer features there.
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Bar annex to popular and very good -if slightly old fashioned- Best Western Hotel. It has a somewhat 'dingy' feel to be honest, the bar area is quite long, but narrow and, if its busy, slightly cramped-and the regulars will crowd the bar and make sure its as difficult as possible for you to squeeze in and place an order! When you do, your every choice is then scrutinised, pity the soul who orders a half or a white wine spritzer! The smoking ban will have worked wonders here though-prior to that happy day, the "Ancient Mariners" would have a permanent haze of smoke hanging over it, not nice for the lungs, clothes, or for eating-so your only choice was to go outside or sit in the "Family Room" (and aren't all so-called "Family Rooms" always the worst room in the place?) which looked and felt like a Wimpy Bar, with the smoke still drifting in through both doorways anyway...
The comments about the deep fried seafood amuse me-listen, if you are going to have seafood, have it as nature intended, not plastered in greasy batter, no wonder you were ill! Thats indicative of English cuisine and taste, not the food here in general. And its OK-nothing special but it doesn't pretend that the menu is, so whats the problem? There are plenty of other places to go to if you want high table and all the accessories.
Good beer choice and lots of room outside, on a sunny day, it can be rather nice.
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Inside the bar was so dark I could not see the money in my purse. The beer was good and outside the view was excellent. As for the food - I had the deepfried seafood. It was so greasy that shortly afterwards I was physically sick. I would not recommend anybody to eat there.
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the Ancient Mariner has (as described in Pete's review) some decent real ales, newspapers, coffee, warm friendly, relaxed ambience and decent pub food. It makes an excellent place to chill out - expecially on a Sunday afternoon, when food is served all the way through from noon to 9pm. If you are eating there, you probably won't be disappointed. It has several eat area, and although for non-smokers like me, the only official non-smoking area is the [rather sterile] family room in one of the annexes, however you'll normally find somewhere smoke free. You can book the restaurant section (which has a nice conservatory which gets booked up at weekends), or just find a quiet spot in front of the fire, the downstairs table area or the fairly cosy upstairs family room in the roof space, which has a nice view out to sea. The food is the same wherever you sit. A good choice of reasonably priced dishes, and an extended and improved Children's menu make this a good choice for taking family or friends. Usually several home cooked choices and even some home made deserts.
The Ancient Mariner ticks many boxes, and is a refreshing change from some of the rather stuffy and somewhat more expensive "hotel" eateries nearby and further round the north Norfolk coast. I take my family there every so often, as we're fairly local give or take 20 miles ! Enjoy
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Large bar, relaxed and cheerful, well done up with lots of dark wood, bare bricks and flagstones, several little areas inc upstairs gallery, pleasant furnishings, four well kept ales inc Adnams and Broadside and Bass, unusually good wines by the glass, friendly service, open fires, papers and magazines; hotel has good restaurant and nice bedrooms, long sea-view garden down to dunes, play area
pete - 21 Oct 2003 12:05 |
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